Founded in 2011, Forge Cellars is the handiwork of Louis Barruol, winemaker at Chatêau Saint Cosme, and Richard Rainey. Together, they wanted to make world class Riesling and they did. Piece-by-Piece is a side project that is bringing in Chatêau Saint Cosme’s Vinsobres under the Forge Cellars label. Saint Cosme’s 2023 newsletter has an entire section dedicated to Vinsobres, Louis is clearly a fan and it is easy to see why. This Vinsobres is dark and earthy displaying both incredibly ripe dark fruit notes ranging from black cherry to almost-blue boysenberry and earthy leather, and wet concrete notes. The wine is also surprisingly loud and large, in part thanks to its heavy-handed 14.5 abv. The connective tissue between Forge and Chateau Saint Cosme is fun to watch as the two wineries have distinctly similar but different goals. Both use techniques to produce world-class expressions with grapes that produce wines true to their terroir. Only, one is focused on Pinot Noir and Riesling and the other, Rhône varietals.
Forge Cellars, Vinsobres AOP (Rhône Valley, France) 2021
By Vince Simmon